Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-22

Joe sat tnerG on this afternoon and
looked out into the dreary prospect,
thinking, thinking, thinking. The sky
was full of grayness that the smoke did
not make. 1t had a sorrowful look in it.
He wondered if it wanted to cry. He
wondered if it had had flower and lost
it, He wondered if it had ever seen the
green fields. And he wOnderedif it was
hungry. Joe was very, very hungry.
He had had only crust of bread for his
breakfast, and nothing since. eff can't
find work We'll have to starve," his
grandfather had said, with such dis
c0uraged look that Joe had cried OUT
80, never mind, grandfather. I'm not
very hungry now" Then the old man
had gone away and left the lad alone.
As he sat there he heard a sound that
he had never heard before. 1t was like
pleasant thunder, low and deep, but
sweet. 1t sounded far off, and then
seemed to grow louder and come nearer.
Joe, who could only lock at what was
directly before the attic window, did not
know that close to the side of the old
tenement-house a great church had been
built. The thunder that he listened to
with such delight was the voice of the
organ, heard for the first time. They
Were trying it at their rehearsal of Christ
mas music. For the morrow would be
Christmas-Day, and the children We're tC
sing carols; and as he listened to the glad
voices of the children so near by, but
who had never heard of poor little Joe,
and never would, perhaps, and whose
lives were as happy as his was miserable,
he was certain that he heard angels
His eyes glowed. His breath came and
went in excited little gasps. His face
was full of eager JOY. 80 sweet, SO
beautiful" he kept saying to- himself as
the music rose and fell and came near
and died away, while all the while be
meath the sound of the blithe voices the
grand, deep thunder of the organ rolled
about him, and made him think some
way of God.
1T must be the angels he whispered,
clasping his thin little hands and listen
ing in ecstacy. 80, [ wish I could see
them! They never came this way be-
fore. I hope they'll stay"
But soon the music ended, and Joe
had to comfort himself with. the memory
of it. lhe sky grew grayer, and the
wind blew into the bare and almost
empty room and made Joe shiver. But
he was used to cold. Then flakes of
snow began to fall; great white things
that danced about with every breath of
petals of his one vanished flower. He
wondered if the blossoms III the green
fields had all at once fallen apart. If
that were true how sorry the angels
must be. He wondered how they could
sing and be glad. The night came sud
denly and hid the world outside the
attic window, and Joe sat in the dark
ness and waited for his grandfather
coming, with the hunger that he had al
most forgotten when the angels sang,
gnawinS, gnawing worse than ever.
i Efish | had something to eat" he
III IL 2 voice that was full of tears.
lie did not want to CRY. but he felt as
t he could not help it much longer.
BY and by he heard a slow, heavy step
n the creaking stairs.
'.Grandfather's coming at LAST he
ried, and turned his thin eager face to
he door. The moment it opened he
ried out:
Il want something to eat, grand
ather I'm hungry, very hungry, for
he crust was so small this morning.
The old mans answer was a sob. He
-sered to chair and sank into it
easlly, hopelessly, and covered his face
TIL his hands
What's the matter, grandfather"
ed Joe. Couldn't you get any
ky